But this should not keep people from considering and utilizing proven, time-limited psychotherapies. A time-limit, in fact, was one of the founding criteria for interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT). IPT was developed, in part, to study the efficacy of an antidepressant with and without therapy for depression, and many drug trials span a few months.

Dr. Pim Cuijpers is a professor and head of clinical psychology at VU University Amsterdam, Netherlands and lead author of the study. He indicated that the 38 studies and 4,356 patients included in this analysis is the largest review of IPT to date. He told me that their results suggested that IPT was about as effective as other evidence-based treatments for depression and that direct comparisons between IPT and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) found no significant difference in efficacy.

IPT theory takes into consideration that bouts of depression often emerge or recur in the context of life events, social and interpersonal stress. IPT protocol includes clearly defining the framework of 12 to 16 weeks of one-hour sessions per week, and discussing the termination or end-of-treatment-date from the outset. After initial sessions of information gathering and formulation, the therapy focuses on a specific area of interpersonal difficulty:

-Interpersonal disputes: the person has a recurring conflict in a family, work or social setting.

-Role transitions: the person is adjusting to altered life circumstances like a change in work, social or relationship status.

-Grief: IPT helps the bereaving person with mourning and to consider new relationships.

-Interpersonal deficits: the person has a deficit in number or quality of relationships.

Dr. John Markowitz is a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and a contributing author of this IPT review. In an e-mail to me, he shared that this study may help “remind clinicians and treatment programs of prior research on IPT.”

When I asked him why IPT seems to be underutilized, especially compared to CBT, he indicated that “Aaron Beck and others have been active in disseminating CBT, with great success.” He contrasted that with Gerald Klerman and Myrna Weissman, the developers of IPT, who “proceeded more cautiously, waiting to replicate the effects of IPT in multiple trials. By the time that happened, Gerald Klerman had died and Myrna Weissman was caught up in other research. So there has never been the same drive to disseminate IPT, which has been a problem for this treatment.”

He went on to describe how IPT has also been shown to work for teens with depression, postpartum mothers, geriatric patients and is currently being tested for post-traumatic stress disorder.

IPT manuals have been translated into various languages and Dr. Cuijpers indicated that of the 38 studies that were included in their meta-analysis, 17 were conducted in countries outside the US.

For a proven, time-limited treatment with promise for other possible conditions, it would be unfortunate if IPT continues to fly under the radar of training programs, therapists and patients in the country where it was developed.